Beware of what you wish for
Arabs to pay heavy price should Israel’s Jewish character be nullified
To the Arab citizens of Israel,
Allow me, as a fellow citizen of this country, to offer you some sound and sincere advice. It is both well-meant and well-founded.
Beware of what you wish for – it may actually come true.
Do not be tempted to act as those who purport to have your best interests at heart urge you to do – lest you actually succeed. When pressed to join forces with those striving to convert Israel from a Jewish state to a "state of all its citizens," do not comply – lest you actually bring it about.
You should know that this desire for the transformation of Israel into a" state of all its citizens" is liable to bring upon you - quite rapidly - the very reality that Avigdor Lieberman has in mind for you; the very reality of which you are so greatly apprehensive –and understandably so; the very reality that - understandably - you are quick to reject; the very reality under which you would live if the Lieberman doctrine was in fact implemented and his proposed frontier changes left you under the auspices of some Arab regime.
You should realize that changing the State of Israel into a state of all its citizens entails far-reaching ramifications in all walks of life in the country, that extend well beyond a mere improvement of prevailing attitudes towards the non-Jewish sector in the country.
You should remember that if Israel is defined as a Jewish State, there is a valid rationale and a viable justification for the existence of an entire range of elements that characterize the conduct of national and public life in the country, such as: the Star of David on the Flag; the "Menora" candelabrum as the state emblem; the words of the national anthem that refer to the "yearning of the Jewish soul"; the status of Hebrew as the dominant vehicle of communication between the citizens of the state - whether in business or in academia; in the legal system or in the media; in public or private affairs; or virtually any other aspect of daily life here…
However, should Israel be re-defined as a state of all its citizens, there will be no valid rationale or viable justification for the existence of any of these features! The inevitable result will be that there will neither be rhyme nor reason why any Jew (apart from those ultra-devout few who regard living in the Holy Land a religious command) would choose to live his/her life in a "non-Jewish Israel" rather than in any other "state of all its citizens" - such as Holland or New Zealand, where the rigors of daily life are less demanding and less stressful. No Jew (apart from those ultra-pious handful who believe in the divine sanctity of the Land of Israel) would insist on living his/her life in a country, where instead of the blue Star of David, the national flag displays stripes of different colors – whether vertical or horizontal – even if these include hues of blue and white.
Becoming more like our neighbors
Accordingly you should be prepared not only for a dramatic increase in the number of Jews who will leave the country, but also an equally dramatic decrease in the number of Jews arriving here (who of course no longer will be called "Olim" but merely "immigrants"). After all, if Israel in not a Jewish state, there will be absolutely no motivation for, nor reason why, highly educated, highly skilled and highly trained Jews from across the developed world should aspire to make their homes here - not scientists, not doctors, not engineers, not entrepreneurs or academics.
Obviously the extraordinary phenomena such as huge inflow of Jewry from the former USSR – with is huge contribution to every aspect of life in the country - would never be possible if Israel became just another "state of all its citizens" on the fringes of a desert at the gateway to the Levant.
Furthermore, if Israel became a state of all its citizens, there would be little grounds for preventing the massive influx of migrants from neighboring lands from pouring into the country – whether seeking to earn a living or to fulfill the "right of return."
You will of course understand the unavoidable consequence of these processes will be a continual erosion of the Jewish population within the "state of all its citizens." Clearly as the composition of the population in the land becomes similar to that in the other states of the region, there is no reason to suppose that the reality that prevails in it will not also become similar to that which prevails in those states – including rate of economic development, the standard of living and lifestyle, the nature of the regime and the liberties it allows those living under it…
Thus quite unintentionally - but inexorably - you will wreak upon yourselves precisely the very reality you sought to avoid, the very reality that the implementation of Avigdor Lieberman's policy, which you so fiercely opposed, sought to wreak on you.
So dear Arab citizens of Israel - my advice to you is that before you endeavor to change the Jewish character of Israel, consider carefully the consequences. For as I previously cautioned: Beware of what you wish for – it may just come true.
